Episode 1: Who the Hell Are We?
February 27, 2025
52 mins
In the first episode of Zero Basis Points, hosts Haik Sahakyan and George Guidotti delve into the complexities of the wealth management industry, exploring the evolution of technology, the challenges of data management, and the value of their podcast as a platform for discussion.
Summary
In this first episode of Zero Basis Points, Haik Sahakyan and George Guidotti introduce the show and share the paths that shaped their views on wealth management. George shares about his early days building and selling a CRM for advisors and how that experience exposed the industry’s real pain points around data, workflows, and scattered systems. Haik walks through his background in private wealth, consulting, and eventually founding ARQA after seeing how legacy tech held firms back. They discuss the core issues they plan to tackle on the podcast — from data collection and curation to workflow bloat and broken reporting — and touch on how AI, crypto, and advisor behavior fit into the bigger picture. A candid kickoff setting the tone for the unfiltered conversations ahead.
Key Topics Covered
- How Haik and George’s backgrounds shape the perspective of the show
- Why data collection is the industry’s most overlooked problem
- Where workflows break down and turn into task overload
- How fragile integrations create invisible operational risk
- Why advisors misunderstand the role of AI in their day-to-day
- The early signals that crypto and new investor behavior matter
Timecode
00:00 Introduction and why ZBP needs to exist
02:20 Haik’s path from LA startups to CRM and advisor workflows
06:40 Building Grendel and learning how advisors actually operate
10:40 George’s journey through private wealth, consulting, and ARQA
14:45 The five real problems wealth management keeps running into
18:36 What data lakes get right and wrong in practice
23:28 LinkedIn vs X and why industry conversations fall apart
27:54 The AI fear cycle and what advisors misunderstand today
33:51 How ARQA handles privacy, latency, and secure AI workflows
40:11 Crypto, investor behavior shifts, and why advisors must keep up
51:20 What ZBP will focus on next and invitation to the audience
Never Miss an Episode
Subscribe for episode drops, behind-the-scenes notes, and insights
we couldn’t say on air.
On-air archive
Featured episodes
See All Episodes
Conquest of Trial-and-Error
Haik Sahakyan and George Guidotti sit down with Brad Frey, Sales Director at Conquest Planning, for a candid look at the state of financial planning tech.
15
AdviseAI Hangover
In this episode, Haik Sahakyan and George Guidotti share their insights on what really stood out at Advise AI.
14
Make WealthTech Open Again
Episode 13 brings our first guest, Craig Uhlenkott, for a candid conversation on the evolution, current challenges, and future of wealth management technology.
13
Zero Basis Points
Follow Zero Basis Points on your favourite platform.
Subscribe
Subscribe to get the latest episodes and exclusive content.
© 2025 Zero Basis Points. All rights reserved.
Episode 1: Who the Hell Are We?
February 27, 2025
52 mins
In the first episode of Zero Basis Points, hosts Haik Sahakyan and George Guidotti delve into the complexities of the wealth management industry, exploring the evolution of technology, the challenges of data management, and the value of their podcast as a platform for discussion.
Summary
In this first episode of Zero Basis Points, Haik Sahakyan and George Guidotti introduce the show and share the paths that shaped their views on wealth management. George shares about his early days building and selling a CRM for advisors and how that experience exposed the industry’s real pain points around data, workflows, and scattered systems. Haik walks through his background in private wealth, consulting, and eventually founding ARQA after seeing how legacy tech held firms back. They discuss the core issues they plan to tackle on the podcast — from data collection and curation to workflow bloat and broken reporting — and touch on how AI, crypto, and advisor behavior fit into the bigger picture. A candid kickoff setting the tone for the unfiltered conversations ahead.
Key Topics Covered
- How Haik and George’s backgrounds shape the perspective of the show
- Why data collection is the industry’s most overlooked problem
- Where workflows break down and turn into task overload
- How fragile integrations create invisible operational risk
- Why advisors misunderstand the role of AI in their day-to-day
- The early signals that crypto and new investor behavior matter
Timecode
00:00 Introduction and why ZBP needs to exist
02:20 Haik’s path from LA startups to CRM and advisor workflows
06:40 Building Grendel and learning how advisors actually operate
10:40 George’s journey through private wealth, consulting, and ARQA
14:45 The five real problems wealth management keeps running into
18:36 What data lakes get right and wrong in practice
23:28 LinkedIn vs X and why industry conversations fall apart
27:54 The AI fear cycle and what advisors misunderstand today
33:51 How ARQA handles privacy, latency, and secure AI workflows
40:11 Crypto, investor behavior shifts, and why advisors must keep up
51:20 What ZBP will focus on next and invitation to the audience
Never Miss an Episode
Subscribe for episode drops, behind-the-scenes notes, and insights
we couldn’t say on air.
On-air archive
Featured episodes
See All Episodes
Conquest of Trial-and-Error
Haik Sahakyan and George Guidotti sit down with Brad Frey, Sales Director at Conquest Planning, for a candid look at the state of financial planning tech.
15
AdviseAI Hangover
In this episode, Haik Sahakyan and George Guidotti share their insights on what really stood out at Advise AI.
14
Make WealthTech Open Again
Episode 13 brings our first guest, Craig Uhlenkott, for a candid conversation on the evolution, current challenges, and future of wealth management technology.
13
Zero Basis Points
Follow Zero Basis Points on your favourite platform.
Subscribe
Subscribe to get the latest episodes and exclusive content.
© 2025 Zero Basis Points. All rights reserved.
Episode 1: Who the Hell Are We?
February 27, 2025
52 mins
In the first episode of Zero Basis Points, hosts Haik Sahakyan and George Guidotti delve into the complexities of the wealth management industry, exploring the evolution of technology, the challenges of data management, and the value of their podcast as a platform for discussion.
Summary
In this first episode of Zero Basis Points, Haik Sahakyan and George Guidotti introduce the show and share the paths that shaped their views on wealth management. George shares about his early days building and selling a CRM for advisors and how that experience exposed the industry’s real pain points around data, workflows, and scattered systems. Haik walks through his background in private wealth, consulting, and eventually founding ARQA after seeing how legacy tech held firms back. They discuss the core issues they plan to tackle on the podcast — from data collection and curation to workflow bloat and broken reporting — and touch on how AI, crypto, and advisor behavior fit into the bigger picture. A candid kickoff setting the tone for the unfiltered conversations ahead.
Key Topics Covered
- How Haik and George’s backgrounds shape the perspective of the show
- Why data collection is the industry’s most overlooked problem
- Where workflows break down and turn into task overload
- How fragile integrations create invisible operational risk
- Why advisors misunderstand the role of AI in their day-to-day
- The early signals that crypto and new investor behavior matter
Timecode
00:00 Introduction and why ZBP needs to exist
02:20 Haik’s path from LA startups to CRM and advisor workflows
06:40 Building Grendel and learning how advisors actually operate
10:40 George’s journey through private wealth, consulting, and ARQA
14:45 The five real problems wealth management keeps running into
18:36 What data lakes get right and wrong in practice
23:28 LinkedIn vs X and why industry conversations fall apart
27:54 The AI fear cycle and what advisors misunderstand today
33:51 How ARQA handles privacy, latency, and secure AI workflows
40:11 Crypto, investor behavior shifts, and why advisors must keep up
51:20 What ZBP will focus on next and invitation to the audience
Never Miss an Episode
Subscribe for episode drops, behind-the-scenes notes, and insights
we couldn’t say on air.
On-air archive
Featured episodes
See All Episodes
Conquest of Trial-and-Error
Haik Sahakyan and George Guidotti sit down with Brad Frey, Sales Director at Conquest Planning, for a candid look at the state of financial planning tech.
15
AdviseAI Hangover
In this episode, Haik Sahakyan and George Guidotti share their insights on what really stood out at Advise AI.
14
Make WealthTech Open Again
Episode 13 brings our first guest, Craig Uhlenkott, for a candid conversation on the evolution, current challenges, and future of wealth management technology.
13
Zero Basis Points
Follow Zero Basis Points on your favourite platform.
Subscribe
Subscribe to get the latest episodes and exclusive content.
© 2025 Zero Basis Points. All rights reserved.
Episode 1: Who the Hell Are We?
February 27, 2025
52 mins
In the first episode of Zero Basis Points, hosts Haik Sahakyan and George Guidotti delve into the complexities of the wealth management industry, exploring the evolution of technology, the challenges of data management, and the value of their podcast as a platform for discussion.
Summary
In this first episode of Zero Basis Points, Haik Sahakyan and George Guidotti introduce the show and share the paths that shaped their views on wealth management. George shares about his early days building and selling a CRM for advisors and how that experience exposed the industry’s real pain points around data, workflows, and scattered systems. Haik walks through his background in private wealth, consulting, and eventually founding ARQA after seeing how legacy tech held firms back. They discuss the core issues they plan to tackle on the podcast — from data collection and curation to workflow bloat and broken reporting — and touch on how AI, crypto, and advisor behavior fit into the bigger picture. A candid kickoff setting the tone for the unfiltered conversations ahead.
Key Topics Covered
- How Haik and George’s backgrounds shape the perspective of the show
- Why data collection is the industry’s most overlooked problem
- Where workflows break down and turn into task overload
- How fragile integrations create invisible operational risk
- Why advisors misunderstand the role of AI in their day-to-day
- The early signals that crypto and new investor behavior matter
Timecode
00:00 Introduction and why ZBP needs to exist
02:20 Haik’s path from LA startups to CRM and advisor workflows
06:40 Building Grendel and learning how advisors actually operate
10:40 George’s journey through private wealth, consulting, and ARQA
14:45 The five real problems wealth management keeps running into
18:36 What data lakes get right and wrong in practice
23:28 LinkedIn vs X and why industry conversations fall apart
27:54 The AI fear cycle and what advisors misunderstand today
33:51 How ARQA handles privacy, latency, and secure AI workflows
40:11 Crypto, investor behavior shifts, and why advisors must keep up
51:20 What ZBP will focus on next and invitation to the audience
Never Miss an Episode
Subscribe for episode drops, behind-the-scenes notes, and insights
we couldn’t say on air.
On-air archive
Featured episodes
See All Episodes
Conquest of Trial-and-Error
Haik Sahakyan and George Guidotti sit down with Brad Frey, Sales Director at Conquest Planning, for a candid look at the state of financial planning tech.
15
AdviseAI Hangover
In this episode, Haik Sahakyan and George Guidotti share their insights on what really stood out at Advise AI.
14
Make WealthTech Open Again
Episode 13 brings our first guest, Craig Uhlenkott, for a candid conversation on the evolution, current challenges, and future of wealth management technology.
13
Zero Basis Points
Follow Zero Basis Points on your favourite platform.
Subscribe
Subscribe to get the latest episodes and exclusive content.
© 2025 Zero Basis Points. All rights reserved.